This has been a busy week with Homecoming. It was another one of those Senior mom times. Coronation was Thursday, the Senior football players and a few others spent the night at our house Thursday night. We made egg casserole and biscuits for them on Friday morning. I took the day off to go to the school activities.

I started the day with my walk on the "hills" of Avoca. I ran into some other moms who had taken the day off too. We decided to meet at the Powder Puff game. Gabe was coaching the Senior girls. It was fun to watch. The Seniors ruled. The boys came out to our house before the game and Bill grilled pork burgers and hamburgers. I made cheesy potatoes and beanie weenies. Not much "heart healthy" cooking going on here.

Friday night football was great also. The boys rolled over Boyer Valley 27 to 7. Both teams were undefeated going into this game. Their record is 4 and 0 now. They're having a good year. Their hard work and discipline of preparing for the season has really paid off.

So what about Sodium and the football boys. When the boys came to our house I made them cheesy potatoes and beanie weenies. The sodium content is off the charts in both of these dishes. I just fell back into old habits because I was cooking for alot of kids and I knew they would like these foods.

Last Tuesday we had our Cooking Class on "Shaking the Salt Habit" and "Portion Distortion". Toni gave us some great pointers again. She said to shop the perimeter of the grocery store where the "healthy, living" foods are. The middle of the store is where foods that are preserved reside.

She brought in some "low sodium" lunch meat from Hy-Vee. It was turkey by Deluso. It tasted pretty good. We had some "low sodium" Ritz crackers. I also tried some "low
sodium" V8 juice as well. She made us two salads that were very refreshing.

She said to remember that salt is a mineral not a condiment. Most foods we eat already have sodium in them. The minimum range of sodium for an adult would 200-500 Mg's. The maximum range would be 1500-2400 Mg's. Athletes and people from certain geographical regions may need to consume more.

I try to stay at 1500Mg's or less per day. This is because I have High Blood Pressure.

Five Steps she gave for Shaking the Salt Habit are:
1. Stop adding salt to food.
2. Find low sodium products.
3. Select fresh foods.
4. Read EVERY food label.
5. Be alert to the hidden sources of sodium in restaurant meals.

I think #5 is the hardest one to work with unless you go on line before you eat out and look at the Sodium content, etc. I found out recently when I ate a grilled chicken and apple salad at a restaurant and I thought I was eating "healthy". I came home and looked it up on line only to find out it had 1100Mg's of sodium in it.

Toni also said when you're having a chicken sandwich at a restaurant and it is round that that's "not natural". That means it has really been processed.

I think my fingers don't swell up as much as they used to when I walk because I am watching my sodium intake. Maybe someone could let me know what they think. More on "Portion Distortion" later.

Blessings,
Laurie